State Representative Mano DeAyala Legislative Update

With nearly 6,000 bills already filed in the Texas House, the 89th Regular Legislative Session is in full swing and our Republican majority is ready to pass major wins for Texas. So far, more than 4,200 bills have been referred to committees, including 11 of the Senate’s top priorities. 155 committee hearings have been held with 541 bills having been heard. Over 3,200 witnesses have travelled to the Capitol to testify on pending bills and more than 20,000 have registered their positions or submitted public comments.

In the coming weeks we will be focused on priorities including property tax relief, school choice, historic funding for public schools, strengthening the grid, bail reform, as well as rooting waste, fraud, and abuse out of our Texas government.

Let me be clear: I expect massive wins for our state this session regardless of the misinformation being peddled by bad actors online, so it’s incredibly important to remain engaged and not believe the rhetoric, but the results. I would encourage everyone to use the state’s resources (such as Texas Legislature Online) to track legislation and see the process playout for themselves.

With that in mind, the following will serve as a brief overview of recent events and offer a glimpse into the near future.

Committee Appointments

I serve on the House Committee on Culture, Recreation, and Tourism, as well as the House Committee on Appropriations to which I have been named Vice Chair of the Appropriations I, IV, and V Subcommittee, which oversees funding for General Government (Article I), the Judiciary (Article IV), and Public Safety and Criminal Justice (Article V). I look forward to collaborating with my colleagues to strengthen our Texas communities and uphold the responsible use of taxpayer dollars in these essential areas of government.

Bills Filed

With committees assigned, I’d like to take a moment to summarize a few of the bills I’ve authored this session. From election integrity to pub-ed funding, to unemployment benefits and enhanced training for our peace officers, they range in scope but all strive to make our communities safer and better places to live. They include:

● HB 199 – Texas’ unemployment trust fund is funded entirely by taxes paid by employers. To keep the fund solvent, reduce taxes and accelerate getting workers back into the workforce, this bill provides a sliding scale linking unemployment benefits to local economic conditions. This legislation ensures that people are motivated to search for open jobs when the economy is doing well while conversely giving people more time and benefits when the economy is slow.
● HB 4424 – This bill roots out fraud and abuse in the administration of unemployment benefits resulting in a reduction in misspent funds and making sure the proper recipients receive benefits.
● HB 5567– Texas continues to attract new businesses and employment opportunities. Our Texas Miracle was built on a tax-friendly, pro-business environment with reasonable regulations and civil jurisprudence. Last session we added business courts to handle complex commercial disputes. HB 5567 continues in this vein to provide necessary tools for the Texas Secretary of State to document and register more businesses in Texas. Texas businesses should be incorporated in Texas, not Delaware or other states.
● HB 298 – Requires driver’s licenses to indicate whether the holder is a United States citizen, creating another form of citizenship identification.
● HB 650 – Provides a 4% discount on a school district’s recapture payment if the full amount is prepaid by February 15, allowing the opportunity for school districts to save money.
● HB 677 – Expands the political activity restrictions for county elections administrators, prohibiting them from holding any additional office or position appointed by an elected official.
● HB 910 – Modifies venue rules for prosecuting election offenses, allowing felony offenses to be prosecuted in an adjoining judicial district while misdemeanor offenses can be prosecuted in an adjoining county. This will ensure that more election prosecutions will be heard, and at the same time provide an unbiased venue for those prosecutions.
● HB 5177 – Reigns in and allocates certain surplus funds collected by Harris County Toll Road Authority (HCTRA) to be dedicated for police, fire and EMS that service the toll roads, and to maintain and construct county roads. Harris County has been rightfully criticized for its poor fiscal decisions. HB 5177 will ensure these funds are not misused.
● HB 2929 – Directs the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) to create mandatory training for peace officers on interacting with individuals who have autism spectrum disorder to create more consistent, positive interaction outcomes.
● And many more….

Teen Summit

On February 22nd I hosted the 5th West Houston Teen Leadership Summit, which welcomed over 220 local teenagers eager to learn from speakers and panels consisting of local and state leaders such as Comptroller Glenn Hegar, Mayor John Whitmire, Senator Paul Bettencourt, Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale, Commissioner Tom Ramsey, Alan Hassenflu, and Fox 26’s Greg Groogan, among many others. High school students attended interactive workshops that covered a wide range of topics—from basic etiquette and financial literacy, to flooding and water infrastructure, as well as a deep dive into the energy industry. I am proud to have brought these community leaders together to provide our local teens with substantive information and inspiration to help shape their future successes.

We want to hear from you!

As always, it’s an honor to serve as your State Representative at the Capitol, surrounded by dedicated colleagues who share my commitment to making our state better in every regard. Over the coming weeks and months, I’ll continue to collaborate with my fellow lawmakers to craft and debate legislation that reflects the needs and aspirations of our communities. Representing HD-133 is a responsibility I embrace with steadfastness and integrity, and I look forward to the improvements we will make for west Houston and Texas. Now let’s win the 89th in a big way. Please share your legislative priorities with me by sending an email to

ma**********@ho***.gov











or giving us a call at (512)-463-0514. We want to hear from you!

God Bless Texas,

Mano DeAyala
State Representative, House District 133